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Interdisciplinary Studies

Types of Degrees Interdisciplinary Studies Majors Are Earning

Those studying Interdisciplinary Studies have the option of earning degrees at several award levels.

Award Level	Graduates
Certificate	208
Associate’s Degree	739
Bachelor’s Degree	8,513
Master’s Degree	818
Doctor’s Degree	77

Who Is Earning a Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies?

Gender Distribution

This field skews predominantly female, with women earning 60.2% of Interdisciplinary Studies degrees.

Gender	Graduates	Share
Women	6,229	60.2%
Men	4,126	39.8%

Racial-Ethnic Diversity

At the national level, the racial-ethnic distribution of Interdisciplinary Studies graduates is as follows:

Race / Ethnicity	Graduates	Share
White	5,291	51.1%
Asian	296	2.9%
Hispanic or Latino	1,936	18.7%
Black or African American	1,690	16.3%
American Indian / Alaska Native	63	0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander	37	0.4%
Two or More Races	429	4.1%
Race Unknown	365	3.5%
International Students	248	2.4%

^{See minority definition below.}

How Much Do Interdisciplinary Studies Graduates Earn?

Federal data tracks median earnings of Interdisciplinary Studies graduates 1, 4, and 5 years after completion. Wages typically rise steadily as graduates gain experience and move into mid-career roles.

Years Out	Median Earnings
1 year	$37,821
4 years	$44,620
5 years	$50,734

By year 5 out, median earnings rise to $50,734 — roughly 34% above the 1-year mark.

^{Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study earnings tracker.}

Online Interdisciplinary Studies Programs

Distance learning is tracked by IPEDS for Interdisciplinary Studies. The table below shows how many graduates earned at least some of their coursework online (Distance-Ed Available) versus completing the entire program online (Distance-Ed Only).

Award Level	Distance-Ed Available	Distance-Ed Only
Associate’s	25	11
Bachelor’s	64	52
Master’s	17	10
Doctoral (Research)	1	1

^{Distance-Ed Only = degrees completed entirely online; Distance-Ed Available = degrees including at least some online coursework. Source: IPEDS Completions by Distance Education status.}

Is a Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies Worth It?

Looking purely at the federal earnings tracker, Interdisciplinary Studies graduates earn a median of $44,620 four years after completion — roughly 17% above the national median for workers with only a high school diploma (~$38,000).

^{ROI estimate compares the program’s 4-yr median earnings against the 2023 BLS CPS median earnings for high-school-only workers. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard + BLS Current Population Survey.}

Related Programs

You may also be interested in these closely related fields of study:

Program	CIP Code
Multi Interdisciplinary Studies	30
Accounting and Computer Science	30.16
Anthrozoology	30.34
Behavioral Sciences	30.17
Biological and Physical Sciences	30.01
Biopsychology	30.10
Classical and Ancient Studies	30.22
Climate Science	30.35
Cognitive Science	30.25
Computational Science	30.30
Cultural Studies and Comparative Literature	30.36
Cultural Studies/Critical Theory and Analysis	30.26

References

The racial-ethnic minorities count is calculated by taking the total number of students and subtracting white students and international students. This number is then divided by the total number of students to obtain the racial-ethnic minorities percentage.

• College Factual
• National Center for Education Statistics (IPEDS)
• O*NET Online
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
• U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

More about our data sources and methodologies.